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  Board for probe card, inspection apparatus, photo-fabrication apparatus and photo-fabrication methodUSPTO Application #: 20070069744Title: Board for probe card, inspection apparatus, photo-fabrication apparatus and photo-fabrication method Abstract: A photo-fabrication apparatus (1) has a stage (2) for holding a base board (9) thereon, a feeding part (3) for feeding photosensitive material onto the base board (9), a layer forming part (4) for smoothly spreading the fed photosensitive material to form a material layer and a light emitting part (5) for emitting a spatially-modulated light beam onto the material layer. The photo-fabrication apparatus (1) forms a lot of elastic microstructures for fine probe and arranges the microstructures at microscopic intervals in a very small range with high positional accuracy on the base board (9) by repeating formation of a material layer and light emission. The microstructures become elastic probes through plating in a later process. (end of abstract)
Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Yasuyuki Koyagi, Hiroko Shimozuma, Takayoshi Tanabe, Takao Yashiro USPTO Applicaton #: 20070069744 - Class: 324754000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070069744. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a technique for manufacturing a probe card used for an electrical inspection of an electric circuit and an inspection apparatus using the probe card. BACKGROUND ART [0002] For an electrical inspection of electric circuits of semiconductor chips, substrates used for liquid crystal displays or the like, conventionally, a probe card has been used, which inputs a signal and detects an output signal by bringing probes into contact with electrode pads of an electric circuit. In a general-type probe card provided are a lot of cantilever-type probes extending in a slanting direction from a main body of the probe card. When there are a lot of electrode pads in a unit area to be inspected, a probe card in which tips of probes are concentrated on a very small region is used. [0003] When an insulating film such as an oxide film is present on an electrode pad in an electric circuit, sometimes a technique is used in which a tip of a probe pressed against the electrode pad is shifted to scrape off a surface of the electrode pad and continuity between the probe and the electrode pad is thereby established. [0004] On the other hand, as a probe card not having cantilever-type probes, proposed is a probe card using bumps which is obtained by growing nickel plating as probes, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette No. 9-5355. [0005] In a probe card, it is necessary to arrange a lot of fine probes at microscopic intervals in a very small range. In recent, with high definition of objects to be inspected, since the number of probes to be needed in a unit area increases and higher positional accuracy for the probes is required, it becomes difficult to perform an inspection or the cost for an inspection apparatus becomes higher if a conventional cantilever-type probe card is used. [0006] Further, when the number of probes increases, in a case of the probe card shown in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette No. 9-5355, a large pressing force is needed to surely establish continuity between a lot of probes and electrode pads and this possibly produces an effect on performance of an electric circuit to be inspected. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION [0007] The present invention is intended for a board for probe card used for an electrical inspection of an electric circuit. The board for probe card comprises a base board, and three-dimensional structures each having a plurality of blocks piled up on the base board, the plurality of blocks being formed of photosensitive material. [0008] In the board for probe card of the present invention, it is possible to easily provide a lot of three-dimensional structures for probe each of which has the piled-up blocks of photosensitive material. [0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, in the board for probe card, each of the three-dimensional structures comprises a flexible part which bends to allow a portion farthest away from the base board to be moved toward the base board. With the probe card manufactured by using the board for probe card, it is possible to surely establish a contact between an object to be inspected and probes. [0010] Preferably, the three-dimensional structure comprises a plurality of protruding parts which protrude from the base board, and a connecting part for connecting tips of the plurality of protruding parts. Further preferably, the plurality of protruding parts protrude from three portions which are nonlinearly arranged on the base board. [0011] According to the present invention, the further processed board for probe card further comprises a conductive film for coating each of the three-dimensional structures. Preferably, the conductive film is a metal coating film formed by electroless plating. [0012] The present invention is also intended for an inspection apparatus for performing an electrical inspection of an electric circuit. The inspection apparatus comprises a probe card on which probes are provided, a pressing mechanism for pressing the probes toward an electric circuit to be inspected, and an inspection part for electrically inspecting the electric circuit through the probes, and in the inspection apparatus, the probe card comprises a base board, three-dimensional structures each having a plurality of blocks formed of photosensitive material and piled up on the base board, and conductive films for coating the three-dimensional structures, respectively. [0013] By using the inspection apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to surely establish a contact between a lot of probes and an electric circuit by using microscopic three-dimensional structures with a small pressing force. Further, since the probe card in which a lot of probes are arranged with high precision is obtained by using photosensitive material, the inspection apparatus is suitable especially for inspection of a fine electric circuit. [0014] The present invention is further intended for a photo-fabrication apparatus for forming three-dimensional structures for probes used for an electrical inspection of an electric circuit. The photo-fabrication apparatus comprises a holding part for holding a base board, a feeding part for feeding liquid photosensitive material onto the base board, a squeegee for forming a layer of photosensitive material which is fed onto the base board on an existing layer and pushing redundant photosensitive material out into a region outside the existing layer through movement relative to the base board in a predetermined direction along a main surface of the base board, a moving mechanism for moving the squeegee relatively to the base board in the predetermined direction, a spacing change mechanism for changing a spacing between the squeegee and the holding part, and a light emitting part for emitting light to a region which is determined in advance with respect to a layer of photosensitive material formed through movement of the squeegee. [0015] With the photo-fabrication apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to easily form a lot of three-dimensional structures for probe. Further, since the redundant photosensitive material is pushed out into a region outside the existing layer, it is not necessary to provide any resin bath and it is thereby possible to ensure size reduction of the photo-fabrication apparatus. [0016] Preferably, the layer of photosensitive material has a thickness of 20 .mu.m or less. Further preferably, the light emitting part comprises a spatial light modulator for generating a spatially-modulated light beam. It is therefore possible to perform light emission at high speed with high accuracy. [0017] According to an aspect of the present invention, the photo-fabrication apparatus further comprises a control part for controlling the quantity of light to be emitted to each microscopic region on a layer of photosensitive material, and the control part comprises a storage part for storing shape data of a three-dimensional structure formed on a board and a table substantially indicating a relation between the quantity of light to be emitted onto a microscopic region on a layer of photosensitive material and a depth of exposure of the layer, and an operation part for obtaining the quantity of light to be emitted for each microscopic region on each layer of photosensitive material piled up to form the three-dimensional structure on the basis of the shape data and the table. [0018] It is thereby possible to form a three-dimensional structure having a smooth shape. [0019] The present invention is still further intended for a photo-fabrication method for forming three-dimensional structures for probes used for an electrical inspection of an electric circuit. The photo-fabrication method comprises a feeding step for feeding liquid photosensitive material onto a base board, a layer formation step for forming a layer of the photosensitive material on the base board by moving a squeegee relatively to the base board in a predetermined direction along a main surface of the base board, a light emitting step for emitting light to a region which is determined in advance with respect to the layer of photosensitive material, and a repeating step for repeating the feeding step, the layer formation step and the light emitting step a plurality of times, and in the photo-fabrication method, the layer of photosensitive material is formed on an existing layer and redundant photosensitive material is pushed out into a region outside the existing layer in the layer formation step included in the repeating step. [0020] In the photo-fabrication method of the present invention, it is not necessary to provide any resin bath since the redundant photosensitive material is pushed out into a region outside the existing layer. [0021] These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Continue reading... Full patent description for Board for probe card, inspection apparatus, photo-fabrication apparatus and photo-fabrication method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Board for probe card, inspection apparatus, photo-fabrication apparatus and photo-fabrication method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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